“Coal Regions” Are Turning Into “Hydrogen Valleys”
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HYDROGEN
“Coal Regions” Are Turning Into
“Hydrogen Valleys”
Just two years ago, the "hydrogen era" seemed miles away from us. However, Russia's aggression
in Ukraine changed everything. Europe has (nally) realised the risks of energy dependence on
one big supplier and the European Commission has signicantly changed its direcon. Although
the price of "green" hydrogen, the desired commodity, is sll high and rising with transport distance,
it is sll important to create “hydrogen valleys”, also known as regional hydrogen ecosystems.
The transforming coal regions like
the Moravian-Silesian, Ústí nad Labem
and Karlovy Vary regions have joined
forces to promote this plan. By signing
a Memorandum of Cooperation, they have
increased their "strength" in relation to the
government, which on one hand needs to
fulfil EU obligations, and at the same time
can provide funds from several sources
for the "start-up"businesses. Virtually all
hydrogen production to date is concentrated
in these regions. For example, infrastructure
and experience with hydrogen, production
of fuels for transport and the industries that
will consume hydrogen. At the same time,
the political representation of these regions
are willing to promote the consumption
of hydrogen within public services. This
creates an ideal synergy, which is unusual
in the Czech Republic so far, a synergy
between production and consumption and
the ability to agree between the both public
and private sectors.
Based on the cooperation memorandum,
the task force was established and is
composed of representatives of each
region. From each region there is one
representative from the public sphere
and one from the private. The Moravian-
-Silesian Region is represented by
the Moravian-Silesian Hydrogen Cluster
(Dan Minařík) and Vítkovice Cylinders
(Vladislav Smrž). The Ústí nad Labem
Region is represented by the Hydrogen
Platform of the Ústí nad Labem Region
(Karel Tichý) and Unipetrol (Tereza
Nislerová). The Karlovy Vary region is
represented by the Regional Authority
(Patrik Pizinger) and Sokolovská uhelná
(Pavel Klaška). The most important current
activities of the group are the promotion
of hydrogen projects within the framework
of the Operational Programme Just
Transition and the Modernisation Fund,
the expression of hydrogen valleys in
the national Hydrogen Strategy, the search
for cooperation with other partners,
HYTEP, and Confederation of Industry of
the Czech Republic Ministries.
The ambition of transforming coal regions
is changing in all areas where the European
Union expects change. These areas
include automobile and rail transport, and
the metallurgical and chemical industries.
Just as these three regions have historically
been a crucial industrial and energy base,
the transformation to "hydrogen" valleys
is becoming the basis for change in
the Czech Republic.
This creates an ideal synergy
between producon and
consumpon and the ability
to agree between the both
public and private sectors.